A number of Leicestershire Police officers and police staff will be marching at Leicester Pride on Saturday August 30, to show their support for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
Leicester Pride has been running for a number of years and the Force has been supporting the event since 2005. Every year officers patrol the event as well as staff stalls to promote the Force’s work on, and provide advice on, stamping out hate crime and domestic abuse within same sex relationships.
The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) network within Leicestershire Police, decided that they would like to march to show their support, out of normal working hours. Around 21 officers, special officers and staff will join the parade, all wearing t-shirts emblazoned with ‘LGBT Network and Straight Allies Policing with Pride’, joined by the Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service for the first time. Officers will join the parade at the Curve Theatre as it makes its way through the city, finishing at Victoria Park where the rest of the celebrations will continue into the evening.
Supporting Leicester Pride is just one of a number of events the Force has taken part in this year, including flying the pride flag at Force headquarters in aid of ‘International Day Against Homophobia’ (IDAHO).
Laura Millward, LGBT Network Chair, said: “It’s the second year in a row that we’ve marched, with more people joining us; it’s a great day to celebrate. It will be good to see some of the Force’s straight allies showing their support to LGBT colleagues.”
@leicesterpride is Saturday 30th August 12pm Parade @CurveLeicester 1pm Victoria Park, it's free for everyone! http://t.co/A8ifPByJDy #pride
— Leicester Pride (@leicesterpride) August 22, 2014
@Mogstar666 yes @leicspolice has a stall at #leicesterpride lots of information from different teams across the force.
— Hate Crime Officer (@hatecrimeleics) August 27, 2014
Plea to name men who carried out homophobic attack on Oakham woman - Local - Rutland Times http://t.co/wUKAY9pClI
— PS Laura Millward (@LGBTPoliceLeic) August 22, 2014